


Bureaucrats

by Jessyn



Series: Talira Legacy: Moments Between Missions [2]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-29
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-06-17 22:59:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15472017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jessyn/pseuds/Jessyn
Summary: Our first run in with the Senate Inquiry Committee.





	Bureaucrats

Aric POV

Garza lifted a brow as I walked in with Sadako's duffle over one shoulder and a caddy of caff and breakfast sandwiches in my hands at 0650 hours. “She was still signing paperwork when I left Coruscant Memorial an hour ago, General,” I offered up as explanation.

“I see.” She gestured to the desk and I set down my offerings, placing the duffle neatly under one of the chairs. “You're a good officer, Jorgan. She's lucky to have you.”

“Thank you, sir.” I offered over a cup of caff and a sandwich; I'd planned on providing for the General anyway, but since neither Sadako or I had slept, extra protein was definitely in order. Anything to keep the op from going pear shaped immediately, let alone the briefing.

Sadako walked through the doors at 0659. She still looked remarkably composed, though I could see a bit of fraying around the edges: her eyes had a bit of a puffy redness too them, and she was definitely not all there. I silently passed her a caff and tugged the other chair out.

“You have my condolences, Lieutenant,” Garza said, more sympathetic than her reputation let on. “If I could give you more time, I would.”

“Thank you, sir,” Sadie croaked, offering a salute of her caff cup as she cleared her throat to continue. At some point in the last 10 hours, she'd gone from being Sadako to Sadie in my head. Funny, that. “I appreciate the sentiment. Still have a job to do, and Tavus won't wait.”

“That he won't.” Sadie still hadn't sat, and even after the General indicated that she should, she remained standing. Oof. I moved behind her and gently pushed her into the chair; hopefully once we were in the field, she'd be a bit more on top of things. I still planned on carrying the mission, even if she wasn't. Tired as we were, it was the least I could do.

Black Sun territory, nerve gas, Sergeant Jaxo as contact on site … the briefing was pretty standard, and over almost as quickly as it started. Garza dismissed Sadie to go armor up, then pulled me aside as she disappeared through the door with her duffle in hand.

“Sergeant, I hope you got all that.” The older woman fixed me with a steely blue stare. “And I trust I need not remind you of the regulations surrounding fraternization.”

“Yes, sir, I did, and no sir, you do not. Respectively.” I returned her gaze implacably. “With respect, sir, I could not in good conscience leave my commanding officer to deal with the death of her mother alone. I would be remiss as her squadmate had I done so.”

“I'd not presume to question your motives, Sergeant Jorgan.” Her voice and expression softened a bit, glancing at Sadie's abandoned caff. “Do you feel she's fit for duty at this time?”

Ooooh, this was going to come back to bite me in the ass, I could tell.

“I'm asking you off the record for your personal opinion, Jorgan,” Garza continued, correctly reading my hesitation. “In this instance, you are welcome to speak freely, without fear of consequence. Contrary to popular belief, I do actually give a damn about the people under my command.”

“With respect, General, you'll have to forgive me for thinking this is something of a trap,” I said flatly. “Given current circumstances.”

“I completely understand, but I would like your opinion, if you please.”

I made an uncomfortable noise in the back of my throat, then sighed. “In all honestly, sir, no, I don't think she is fit for duty. Who would be less than two hours out from a parent's death?” I pinched the bridge of my nose as I continued. “In truth, neither of us are; sleep wasn't exactly a commodity last night. But, there's no one else for this mission, and we'll make sure it gets done, and done right.”

“I appreciate your honesty, Jorgan.” I could practically feel her appraising look. Definitely going to come back to bite me in the ass, no matter what she'd said. “Keep a good eye on your CO today. Dismissed.”

~*~ 

“Come in, Lieutenant, this is General Garza.” Sadie and I shared A Look as her comm went off, and we stepped away from Jaxo. Garza's image in miniature appeared in her palm. “A situation has developed with the Senate, and I need your help.”

Oh, boy.

“Yes, sir?” How she managed to remain professional in her current state was beyond me. We were both beat as hell, blaster singed, and wanting for nothing more than a hot shower and a cot.

“Despite my best efforts, three members of the Senate Defense Committee have learned about Havoc Squad's defection, and they want to know the specifics.” Garza's irritation was clear in her voice. I could see Sadie's control on her emotions fray as she continued. “It's an 'informal inquiry' for the time being, but you can bet it won't end there. I hate politics.”

“We don't have time for this, General.” I caught Jaxo's head coming up in my peripheral vision as Sadie spoke; it was the first time I'd ever heard her get terse with anyone. Jaxo raised an eyebrow at me, and I gave a minute shake of my head – was not my place to explain things to the brunette. I did, however, make a mental note to try not to piss off my CO in the future. Yeouch.

“I'm well aware of that, Lieutenant, but we don't have much say in the matter.” I suppressed a low whistle: Garza was cutting Sadie a _lot_ of slack for being borderline insubordinate. Maybe I'd misjudged our conversation earlier. “The Senators have asked that you appear in their office at the Senate Tower immediately to testify in the inquiry. I'm barred from influencing your testimony, but I will remind you that the more information that becomes public, the harder our job becomes.” Ahh, there was the General we knew and loved. Ha.

“I -” Sadie checked herself, clearly reigning in her temper. “Yes, sir.”

“The Senators are already waiting for you. Hurry back to the Tower, and do try to get this over with quickly. Garza out.”

“As if we didn't have enough problems already...” I muttered. I thought it'd been under my breath, but apparently not. Sadie just sighed and nodded.

“Let's get this done.”

~*~

“Ah, Lieutenant, make yourself comfortable.” The human male, Senator Arnus, by the placard in front of him, gestured to the seats lining the small hearing table. Sadie moved to stand behind the center chair, and I placed myself on her right, about a row back. The room was sparsely populated, a few representatives and other senators' lackeys scattered about. Witnesses. I'd bet 50 credits that more than just the three Committee members knew about the defection. Lovely.

“If it's all the same to you, Senator, I think I'll stand.” Again there was the professionalism, though I was pretty sure I wasn't the only one who could pick up on the thread of stress underneath. Just her luck that another Committee member happened to be Cathar – Krasul. Cathar population being what it was, the name was at least passing familiar to me. “It's … been a very long thirty-six hours for the Sergeant and I; I would hate to risk disrespecting the three of you by unintentionally falling asleep while sitting.”

Smoother than most silks, this woman. Damn.

“Your consideration is appreciated, Lieutenant Caron,” Arnus replied graciously. “On behalf of the Galactic Senate, I want to thank you for appearing on such short notice for this informal inquiry. That said, I assure you we will not keep you from your duties any longer than necessary.”

Yeah, right. I managed not to scoff, thankfully, as the third senator, a Mirialan woman (Voralla? I couldn't quite get a clear look at her placard), rattled through the formality of stating the inquiry's purpose. Arnus picked up right away with the questions where she left off.

“Now, you recently served in Havoc Squad on Ord Mantell, Lieutenant, is that correct?”

“That's correct, Senator,” was the response, albeit a bit more curt than she probably planned on. I picked up the faint wince as Krasul started in on her.

“It was a simple question, Lieutenant; your hostility is unwarranted.” The Mirialan gave Krasul a sharp look around Arnus' shoulder, knocking him back into line for the moment. Apparently, he was just an asshole; too bad he already had Sadie's hackles up. Arnus just raised an eyebrow at him before continuing.

“While serving on Ord Mantell, all of the members of Havoc Squad, excluding yourself, defected to the Sith Empire. Is that correct?”

“If you're looking to make a point, let's just get it out there,” she snapped. I couldn't stop the grimace on my face: to call that a tactical blunder was an understatement.

“Lieutenant, you are a soldier of the Republic and sworn to obey the commands of the Senate!” Krasul fired back at her. Sadie pressed a gloved knuckle to the bridge of her nose, only half covering the pained expression as Voralla played good cop.

“Please, we're only trying to discover the truth. If critical members of the Republic Armed Forces have defected, we'll need to take proper precautions.”

Sadie sucked in a breath, forcibly plastering her professionalism back into place. “My apologies, Senators. As I said, it's been a very long thirty-six hours, and Sergeant Jorgan and I are under a significant amount of stress, professional and otherwise.”

“Mmh.” Arnus gave her a calculating look. “Now, did Commander Tavus or any of the other members of Havoc Squad show signs of instability? Anger? Frustration, perhaps?”

“With respect, Senator Arnus, I didn't have much of a chance to get to know them all that well.” She was starting to sway faintly on her feet, and I watched her tighten her grip on the back of the chair to keep herself steady. Krasul saw it too, and pounced on her. Shit.

“Lieutenant, you are lying to the Senate of the Galactic Republic!” To her credit, Sadie didn't flinch. I could see her jaw working as she strained to hold onto her temper, though. We needed to get out of here and get off duty. ASAP.

“No one wants this to turn into a full-blown investigation,” Voralla said calmly, quelling Krasul with a wave of her hand. “If you just answer honestly, we can avoid all of that.” I tucked that particular turn of phrase away; Sadie hadn't lied once, she just wasn't giving a centimeter, either. If it came to it, this provided Garza the opportunity to suggest entrapment.

“Lieutenant Caron,” Arnus cut in, clearly on the same line of thought as I was. “Let's speak hypothetically: do you believe that anyone serving on Ord Mantell should have seen this situation coming?”

“I don't believe anyone could have seen this coming, Senator.” At this point, even Arnus could catch the fatigue in her tone, but it didn't look like he was going to take pity on her.

Fucking politicians.

“Commander Tavus and the others must have been quite subtle indeed,” he mused. “I do have one final question for you, Lieutenant. What connection, if any, exists between the events that occurred on Ando Pr-”

“Senator Arnus,” Voralla said, rather too sharply considering the role she'd played thus far. “I remind you that the circumstances of Ando Prime are classified and occurred before Lieutenant Caron's involvement with Havoc Squad.” She turned to Sadie, all authority now. “You may disregard that question, Lieutenant. Thank you for your time; you may return to your duties.”

“As you wish, Senator.” Sadie gave the three of them a shrewd look, then saluted and headed for the door. I fell in behind her, just as eager to leave.

~*~

“General, I must insist that Lieutenant Caron -”

“Mr. Danek,” Garza's voice had the same sharp edge to it that she'd used while reprimanding Sadie. “I appreciate where you are coming from, believe me. I do, however, have some questions for you.”

I stuck my arm out, blocking Sadie's path as we stepped inside the foyer to Garza's offices. The plush carpets had muffled our booted feet, and I pressed a finger to my lips before my CO could question me.

“Mmph.” Danek, whomever he was, made a disgruntled noise, and must have gestured for Garza to proceed.

“If I am understanding you correctly, Mrs. Caron's remains have been handled according to her last wishes, correct?”

“Yes, but -”

“And the death certificate has been filed and recorded, correct?”

“Yes, but -” Danek's voice was starting to rise.

“And there is no further paperwork in regards to the estate that must be filed within twenty-four hours of her death, correct?”

I glanced down at Sadie. Her eyes were slightly wide and she had one hand pressed over her mouth. Danek must be that Chagrian lawyer I'd shut down at the hospital.

“Yes, but the sooner-”

“Then I see absolutely no reason why Lieutenant Caron should report to your offices immediately, Mr. Danek,” the General cut him off, and the slight movement to my left told me Sadie had ducked her head. “The Lieutenant has quite a lot on her plate at the moment, and will not be reporting to you until at least 1600 tomorrow afternoon. Is that clear? Excellent.”

Garza must have cut off the holo, because there wasn't any response. I heard Sadie suck in a breath, and let her lead me into the offices proper. Where the hell had she learned to keep face like this? Not even the Jedi, famed for their serenity, could possibly top what this woman had pulled off.

“Ah, it's good you've arrived, Lieutenant,” Garza turned from the holotable as we entered and indicated that we take a seat. “At ease. We have a great deal to discuss.”

We both dropped heavily into the seats indicated (reinforced durasteel will do that). Tired as we both were, I watched Sadako steel herself for what was coming. Garza rather had that look on her face, and the scent of irritation was clear in the room.

“First, let me congratulate you for your work on the Black Sun operation. You did well, disabling that nerve gas.” The General settled behind her desk, resting her clasped hands on the polished wood. “Also, that prototype blaster you confiscated will teach us a great deal about the Black Sun's sources.”

Sadie nodded; perhaps she didn't trust herself to speak calmly yet.

“As for the Senators, they weren't very happy with your testimony. 'Useless', 'disrespectful' and 'recalcitrant' I believe were the terms they used.” There was the boot.

“Glad I made an impression,” Sadie muttered. Mhmm, hadn't trusted herself, though it was clear now it had been a matter of respect and not emotion. Somewhere in the back of my mind, it occurred to me that thirty-six hours without sleep was rather a long time for a human to go.

“It's a fine line we walk, Lieutenant,” Garza responded, surprisingly gently. “Making the Senate too angry can have dire consequences.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Now.” And, we were back to all business again. Tired as I was, it was getting to be a little disorienting. “That being said, we do have a lead on your next target, however the intel surrounding it is shaky at best. At this time, Havoc Squad is being placed on shore leave, with some conditions.”

“Sir?” Sadie pushed herself a bit more upright in her chair, though from her posture I could tell it was less out of attentiveness and more an effort to keep herself awake. I didn't blame her.

“The estate lawyer for your mother contacted me directly, insisting you see him right away. Insolent man.” Garza shook her head; insolent was probably a fair judgement of that Chagrian. “I am ordering you to take the next eighteen hours at least to sleep and take some time for yourself; it has been made clear to Mr. Danek that you will not be walking through his office doors until 1600 hours tomorrow at the absolute earliest.”

Sadie blinked a bit, letting the words process, I guess. Still, it played off nicely as surprise. “Um. Yes, sir. Thank you for that, sir.”

Garza waved off the thanks. “As for the rest of it, neither of you are to go off planet, nor should you be more than an hour's distance from base at any time. I'm sure you understand, considering the nature of our current situation. I want you to be ready to move on your next operation the moment intel solidifies, understood?”

“Yes, sir,” was chorused, out of habit on my part, really. Oops.

“Good. Go get some sleep, both of you. Dismissed.”

-fin-


End file.
